FDA declares 2015, “the year of FSMA.”

  • Enacted in 2011, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most comprehensive food safety reform in the United States in over 70 years.  Numerous FSMA provisions require FDA rulemaking prior to implementation, and FDA has issued many major proposed rules at this point.
  • On April 23, 2015, FDA held a public “FSMA Kickoff Meeting” at which Agency officials provided updates on FSMA implementation, including a summary of key FSMA dates.
  • The key takeaway from FDA’s meeting was that the food industry should be preparing for FSMA compliance.  All proposed rules are due to be finalized within the coming year and nearly all food companies will be required to comply in less than five years (with compliance dates staggered in some instances based on the size of the business).